The judge who cleared Sen. Mike Duffy of all 31 charges, including fraud and bribery, slammed the actions of senior staff in Stephen Harper鈥檚 office as 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� and 鈥渟hocking鈥�

鈥淚f anyone was under the impression that this organization was a benign group of bureaucrats taking care of the day-to-day tasks associated with the Prime Minister, they would be mistaken,鈥� Ontario Court Justice Charles Vaillancourt wrote in his scathing takedown of the previous Prime Minister鈥檚 Office.

Vaillancourt said the 鈥渆ntire scenario鈥� that involved Harper鈥檚 then-chief of staff Nigel Wright giving Duffy a $90,000 personal cheque to cover the senator鈥檚 expenses 鈥渨as not to benefit Duffy, it was to benefit the government and the PMO.鈥� He called the plot 鈥渦nacceptable in a democratic society.鈥�

鈥淭his was damage control at its finest,鈥� the judge said as he dismissed all charges against Duffy, which ranged from filing false expenses and residency claims to defrauding the government.

Duffy did not speak to reporters after the judgment was delivered, but during breaks in court throughout the day, he appeared relaxed and shook hands with supporters. Now that he has been acquitted, Duffy will once again have access to his Senate office and all the resources of the upper chamber.

Vaillancourt said he accepted the defence鈥檚 argument that the senator was a pawn in the PMO鈥檚 strategy to manage the fallout of media reports about the validity of Duffy鈥檚 residency and expense claims.

The judge said the PMO鈥檚 goal was to 鈥渃alm that storm鈥� and the PMO staffers who testified at Duffy鈥檚 trial struck him as 鈥渉ighly intelligent and hardworking individuals who executed their mandates with ruthless efficiency.鈥�

Vaillancourt said the PMO emails entered as evidence, including correspondence between Wright, senior PMO staffers and Conservative senators in leadership positions, led him to ask himself, 鈥淲as Nigel Wright actually ordering senior members of the Senate around as if they were mere pawns on a chessboard?... Were those same senior members of the Senate robotically marching forth to recite their provided scripted lines?... Does the reading of these emails give the impression that Senator Duffy was going to do as he was told or face the consequences?

鈥淭he answers to the aforementioned questions are: YES; YES; YES; YES; YES; and YES!!!!!鈥� Vaillancourt wrote in his judgment.

鈥淭he political, covert, relentless, unfolding of events is mindboggling and shocking,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭he precision and planning of the exercise would make any military commander proud.鈥�

Duffy was 鈥渞esisting and kicking and screaming every step of the way,鈥� he added. 鈥淗e begged not to go through with the plan.鈥�

Vaillancourt also called Duffy a credible witness and disagreed with the Crown's allegation that the senator misrepresented the location of his primary residence in Prince Edward Island.

The judge said that Duffy sought out experts鈥� advice on the issue of primary residence, including from Stephen Harper. "This was not some minor bureaucratic official speaking but the Prime Minister of Canada," he wrote.

Vaillancourt said there wasn鈥檛 any 鈥渟inister motive鈥� on Duffy鈥檚 part and noted that there appears to be no definition of principal residence or related criteria in the Senate policy.

On charges related to what the Crown alleged was a 鈥渟hopping trip鈥� to Peterborough, Ont., to pick up a puppy, the judge seemed to mock the prosecution鈥檚 arguments and said 鈥渢he evidence didn鈥檛 support that conclusion.鈥�

Vaillancourt said that the trip was within the rules, because Duffy met with MP Dean Del Mastro to discuss arts funding.

Vaillancourt also dismissed all charges related to approximately $65,000 in contracts Duffy arranged with companies owned by his friend Gerald Donohue to pay for various services to other individuals, including a personal trainer and makeup artist.

"I was not presented with evidence suggesting expensive wining and dining, lavish living or pricey gambling junkets, or secret financial hideaways,鈥� the judge said. 鈥淣ow, fraud and breach of trust can occur outside the aforementioned examples; however, the thrust of all of Sen. Duffy's perceived misadventures was focused on Senate business."

鈥楻esounding acquittal鈥�

Speaking to reporters outside court, Duffy鈥檚 lawyer Donald Bayne said that in his 44 years on the job, he has never been 鈥渨itness to such a resounding acquittal.鈥�

鈥淵ou heard the words he used. This is an experienced, senior, highly-respected judicial officer,鈥� Bayne said of Vaillancourt.

Bayne also said that Duffy has likely suffered 鈥渕ore public humiliation than any Canadian in history.鈥�

He said his client did not get a due process from 鈥渕ost -- not all鈥� of his Senate colleagues and Tory Senate leadership, who expelled him from the red chamber before he was charged.

鈥淭he importance of what the judge did and said here today shows, we can鈥檛 rush to judgement,鈥� Bayne said. 鈥淧olitical figures, public figures, are also entitled to due process.鈥�

Bayne also said the ruling makes plain that the Senate needs clearer rules on what Senators 鈥渃an and can鈥檛 do in the public interest.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 sure all of you think that some of the things that senators are allowed to travel across the country for at considerable expense -- business class -- may or may not pass a value for money test,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here has to be that kind of assessment on Parliament Hill on expenditure of public money,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hose rules did not exist in Mike Duffy鈥檚 day.

What鈥檚 next for the Senate?

Marjory LeBreton, a retired Conservative senator and former government leader in the Senate, told CTV鈥檚 Power Play on Thursday that she 鈥渄esperately鈥� tried to keep the controversy surrounding Duffy鈥檚 expenses out of the PMO because it was 鈥渁 Senate administrative issue.鈥�

She said there was a lot of 鈥渕isinformation鈥� spread around before and during Duffy鈥檚 trial, but the Senate has since tightened its spending rules and will be a 鈥渂etter place鈥� moving forward.

LeBreton said she wishes Duffy well as he returns to the Senate. Asked what the impact of his return will be, she replied: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. I鈥檓鈥 retired senator and I must say I鈥檓 very glad to be out of the place.鈥�

Senator David Smith, a Liberal, said it was 鈥済ood all this stuff is behind us, and I think you will see people in both houses be very, very careful about expenditures.鈥�

But the Senate scandal isn鈥檛 over entirely. The RCMP鈥檚 investigation into Pamela Wallin鈥檚 travel expenses, which she has partially paid back, continues nearly three years after it began.

鈥淭o have that hanging over a person鈥檚 credibility, reputation, career, family,鈥� said Conservative Sen. John Wallace. 鈥淚 would never want that myself, I hope.鈥�

With files from field producer Philip Ling and The Canadian Press

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